Reservoir more rested this time

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Even though he was making his third career start in a span of less than seven weeks, Reservoir obviously had a following, as he was sent off at less than 12-1 for the $1 million Queen's Plate.

Reservoir wasn't up to the task that day, as he finished a faltering 11th. But Julia Carey, who trains Reservoir for Elliot Kohn and Weila Ye, is hoping that a horse of a different color will show up for Sunday's $500,000 Breeders' Stakes.

The Breeders', a 1 1/2-mile turf race, follows the 1 1/4-mile Queen's Plate and Fort Erie's 1 3/16-mile Prince of Wales as the final leg of the Triple Crown for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds.

A field of 13 was entered on Thursday, and Reservoir, who was supplemented at a cost of $12,000, will be making his first start since the June 21 Queen's Plate.

"The Queen's Plate was disastrous," said Carey. "He just wouldn't settle. He was just too wound up."

Reservoir, bred by Kohn, never made it to the racetrack as a 2-year-old and joined Carey in Ocala last winter.

"I was going to run him down in Florida, but I didn't want to run him on dirt," said Carey. "I wanted to wait for the turf, and timing-wise it didn't work."

So Reservoir came north to Woodbine, without great expectations.

"I had no idea he was going to turn out the way he would," said Carey.

Carey originally planned to run the gelding for $32,000 but, following a minor setback, he missed that spot and was entered for $50,000 here on April 25, only to flip in the gate and be scratched.

"He gave me a couple of good works after that," said Carey. "That opened my eyes."

Now unwilling to run Reservoir for a claiming price, Carey entered him in a "B" maiden race at seven furlongs on May 6 and was rewarded with a convincing victory.

On May 31, Reservoir stretched out to 1 1/8 miles on the turf and was a game front-running winner when facing older rivals in a first-level allowance.

"I was pleasantly surprised," said Carey. "But I knew he had a lot of miles under him, and I was okay with the mile and an eighth."

Following the Queen's Plate, Carey sent Reservoir to the farm for a 10-day respite.

"The Plate wasn't a very good experience," said Carey. "I wanted to get it out of his mind.

"I don't think he lost anything in terms of fitness. He worked very good the other day."

In his major Breeders' tune-up last Sunday under regular rider Jim McAleney, Reservoir breezed five furlongs in a clocking of 1:00.20, which was the fastest of 73 at the distance.

Reservoir worked without blinkers and will race without the equipment for the first time in the Breeders'.

Genius Kinshasa earned his spot

Gallant, winner of the Prince of Wales on July 12, and Genius Kinshasa, coming off a restricted first-level allowance score here over 1 1/4 miles on turf on July 10, also were supplemented to the Breeders' at a cost of $12,000.

Genius Kinshasa, trained by Vito Armata, led throughout that last race under regular rider Emile Ramsammy and prevailed by one length over older rivals.

"If the horse hadn't run well on the turf I wouldn't have run him here," said Armata, who is a co-owner of the gelding. "He could have run in the Plate, and the Prince of Wales, but he missed those. It's time to step up."

Flip for the Coin did run in both the Queen's Plate and Prince of Wales, finishing fifth of 13 here and last of six at Fort Erie.

"Things just didn't go right for him last time," said Armata, who trains the homebred Flip for the Coin for Gino Molinaro. "He came out of the race well, and I think the horse can go this far."

Emma-Jayne Wilson will ride Flip for the Coin for the first time in the Breeders'.

Doyle has pair for Nandi

The $125,000 Nandi, a six-furlong race for Ontario-sired 2-year-old fillies, is the co-feature on Sunday's program and attracted a field of nine.

Trainer Mike Doyle will send out two of those runners in Shesadozer and Gin Queen, both of whom he owns in partnership with Bill Duffy.

Shesadozer won her maiden first crack out at 4 1/2 furlongs but then faltered to finish last of five in the Shady Well, a 5 1/2-furlong race for Ontario-foaled 2-year-old fillies.

"She got in a bit of a speed duel last time," said Doyle. "We'll see what we have to do here, to get it right."

Gin Queen has raced once, finishing third behind fellow Nandi entrants Executively and Executive Pick in a five-furlong maiden race.

"I liked her okay," said Doyle. "I was thinking about another maiden race, but this race was right here."

Jono Jones retains the mount on Shesadozer while Matt Moore has the return all aboard Gin Queen.

Field has two supplements

The Nandi field also will include two supplements, as Oistins and Threshold were added to the nominees at a cost of $2,500 each.

Oistins, owned by James Redekop and trained by Terry Jordan, finished a troubled third in her debut at 4 1/2 furlongs here May 30 and came back four weeks later to score a neck decision over the first-timer Talk About It.

"She ran a tough race," said Jordan. "They came at her three times, and she didn't give in."

Threshold, owned by TKO Racing and trained by Brian Lynch, won her maiden when debuting in a restricted five-furlong race here on July 23.

* Jennifer Morrison will host a seminar focusing on the Breeders' Stakes here on Sunday beginning at 11 a.m. on the third floor of the grandstand. Trainer Barbara Minshall, who will send out Parabola for the Breeders', will be a guest speaker at the seminar.